The collegiate spring sports championship calendar rolls on this week, with women’s lacrosse taking center stage on quarterfinal Thursday. It’s an all-day showcase for the nation’s last eight teams standing, with a trip to championship weekend in Foxborough, Massachusetts, going to the four winners.
Most of the participants have been here before, including defending champion Boston College and long-time powers North Carolina and Northwestern. The top four seeds survived the tournament’s early rounds and will host these quarterfinal contests, but there is always surprise potential, especially considering several of the visiting teams have already proven they can win on the road. Here’s what you need to know.
The NCAA women’s lacrosse championship contenders
The top three seeds happen to be the three most recent champs. All three have won multiple titles, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see any of them add to their trophy case. Florida is the most likely candidate to join the first-time champs club. The Gators seek a second consecutive semifinal berth and third in program history, all under founding coach Amanda O’Leary. The Ivy League matches the ACC with three teams in the quarterfinals, but all will be road underdogs.
NCAA women’s lacrosse players to watch
The top-seeded Tar Heels are led by the Humphrey sisters. Ashley, a senior, is usually the feeder with 77 assists to go with her 29 goals. Her younger sister Chloe is the primary finisher with 77 goals and 25 helpers. The Boston College attack this year is paced by Rachel Clark (95 G, 22 A). But one mustn’t overlook Northwestern’s Madison Taylor, who has already made her mark on this postseason. In the Wildcats’ win against Michigan in the round of 16, she notched a tournament record 10 goals to bring her season-to-date total to 99. She also has 37 assists to average a lofty 7.2 points a game.
How to NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament
All four quarterfinal games on Thursday will be shown on ESPNU. They can also be streamed via ESPN+.
Here’s the schedule (times eastern):
No. 3 Northwestern vs. Penn, noon.
No. 4 Florida vs. Duke, 2:30 p.m.
No. 2 Boston College vs. No. 7 Yale, 5 p.m.
No. 1 North Carolina vs. Princeton, 7:30 p.m.